AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) Trading Up 6.6% - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• AeroVironment shares rose 6.6% to $159.18 in midday trading, although volume was 42% below the stock’s average daily volume.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $1.84, beating estimates of $1.47, while revenue reached $641.62 million—up 133.3% year over year and above analyst expectations.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $266.68 price target, despite some firms recently lowering their targets or ratings.

Shares of AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) shot up 6.6% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $159.33 and last traded at $159.18. 960,287 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 42% from the average daily volume of 1,652,088 shares. The stock had previously closed at $149.37.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on AVAV shares. Needham & Company LLC restated a "buy" rating and issued a $225.00 target price on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d)" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of AeroVironment from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $210.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price target on AeroVironment from $280.00 to $240.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Wedbush began coverage on AeroVironment in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $250.00 price objective on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $266.68.

AeroVironment Trading Up 6.6%

The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $165.29 and a 200 day simple moving average of $206.04. The company has a market cap of $8.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -43.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 4.30 and a quick ratio of 3.59.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.71% and a negative net margin of 9.00%.The firm had revenue of $641.62 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $555.97 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.61 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 133.3% compared to the same quarter last year. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Stephen F. Page sold 250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.41, for a total value of $43,602.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 49,001 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,546,264.41. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of AeroVironment during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. National Bank of Canada FI increased its stake in AeroVironment by 230.3% in the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 109 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. increased its stake in shares of AeroVironment by 90.0% in the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 133 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. bought a new position in AeroVironment in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its position in AeroVironment by 73.8% during the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 139 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.38% of the company's stock.

About AeroVironment

AeroVironment, Inc NASDAQ: AVAV is a technology company specializing in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), tactical missiles and precision loitering munitions, electric vehicle charging and scalable energy systems. Headquartered in Monrovia, California, the company develops solutions for defense, public safety and commercial markets. Their offerings include small UAS for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as advanced weapons systems designed to meet the needs of modern military operations.

The company's unmanned aerial systems portfolio features platforms such as the Raven, Puma and Switchblade series, which are deployed by the U.S.

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